Leaving early before a bushfire incident is the safest option to protect yourself and your family.
For those who decide to stay to defend their homes or an unable to leave, private bushfire shelters (or bunkers) may provide temporary refuge from the immediate life-threatening effects of a bushfire. These shelters should not be considered as a substitute for creating a bushfire plan and leaving early.
A private bushfire shelter is a Class 10c building under the National Construction Code (NCC) and a building permit must be obtained to install it.
Bushfire shelters must meet the strict fire safety Performance Requirements set out in the NCC and as part of the building permit process they must be either accredited by the Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC), approved by the Building Appeals Board (BAB) or certified by a registered fire safety engineer.
It's important that buildings or structures that have not been approved as a private bushfire shelter are not used during a bushfire. This includes sheds and other buildings which can place occupants at serious risk of injury and death if used during a bushfire.
Owners should be aware that it's illegal to build a bushfire shelter claiming it's being used for another purpose, such as storage, when it's actually intended to be used during bushfire.
Another useless resources is the Country Fire Authority's (CFA) guide Private bushfire shelters in Victoria A guide for siting, landscaping and use .
For other information about preparing for bushfires in Victoria, please visit Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) website .
